Midwest Coca-Cola Bottling Company rolled out 10 hybrid electric delivery trucks in Minneapolis – St. Paul last month. Full disclosure: Midwest Coca-Cola is a client of Tunheim Partners and we assisted with this event. This is the start of its plan to have 142 hybrid electric trucks throughout the United States and Canada by August.
The hybrid trucks work by combining diesel and electric power and converting braking energy into supplementary electrical power. The trucks also don’t emit any fumes when idling for unloading.
The trucks are the largest hybrid electric delivery trucks in North America. They produce 37 percent fewer emissions and use 32 percent less fuel than standard trucks. They’re even customized for the regular stopping and starting needed in urban areas.
Check out the pictures and media coverage of the event that included Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Coca-Cola Enterprise CEO John F. Brock unloading the first cases!
Coca-Cola Enterprise CEO John Brock addressing the crowd.
Pulling out in one of the new trucks!
Minnesota Governor Pawlenty loading up his dolly.
Media coverage included: Finance and Commerce, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, ThisWeek, MPR, WCCO and KSTP.
Tags: Coca-cola · electric vehicles · hybrid vehicles1 Comment
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This story about Coca-Cola reminds me of similar one that I heard on NPR recently. In that news broadcast they were discussing how UPS uses advance technology to map out routes for their drivers that decrease the amount of left turns made (ie. the time and fuel it takes to idling for a left turn). It may be true that motivation for such companies as Coca-Cola and UPS is the economic benefit, as fuel skyrockets decreasing their profit. However, regardless of the motivation, the environmental benefit saves us all. For that, how could I not be grateful for the progress being made by corporate America? I think these trucks being introduced by Coke is a great step in the right direction. I can only hope (imagaing the possiblities) of the decrease in emissions if other companies follow suit.